Dough ball loader and method of flattening a dough ball

Abstract

A dough ball loader includes a conveyor belt supported on a frame. A frame plate is fixed in position over the conveyor belt. Loading tubes on the frame plate are aligned over a loading opening in the frame plate. Pairs of flatteners are pivotably attached to the frame plate adjacent to the loading opening. The flatteners preferably have a flat bottom surface. An actuator is linked to the flatteners and pivots the flatteners from an open position for loading dough balls onto the conveyor belt, to a closed position, for flattening the dough balls and fixing them into position on the belt.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A dough ball processing machine comprising: a conveyor belt;   a frame plate above the belt, the frame plate having a plurality of spaced apart openings passing through it;   a first flattener and a second flattener pivotably attached to the frame plate at each of the openings; and   an actuator linked at least indirectly to the first and second flattener.   
     
     
       2. The machine of claim 1 wherein each flattener comprises a flat bottom surface. 
     
     
       3. The machine of claim 2 wherein each flattener comprises a curved upper section. 
     
     
       4. The machine of claim 2 wherein each flattener is pivotable from an open position wherein the flat bottom surface is substantially vertical, to a closed position wherein the flat bottom surface is substantially horizontal. 
     
     
       5. The machine of claim 2 wherein the flat bottom surface of each flattener comprises a non-stick material. 
     
     
       6. The machine of claim 1 further comprising a third flattener and a fourth flattener pivotably attached to the frame plate, with one of the third and fourth flatteners linked to one of the first and second flatteners. 
     
     
       7. A dough ball loader comprising: a conveyor belt supported on a frame;   a frame plate in a fixed position over the conveyor belt;   a loading tube on the frame plate aligned over a loading opening in the frame plate;   a first flattener pivotably attached to the frame plate adjacent to the loading opening, the flattener having a flat bottom surface; and   an actuator linked to the first flattener for pivoting the flattener from a first position wherein the flat bottom surface is generally vertical and the loading opening is open, to a second position wherein the flat bottom surface is generally parallel to the belt and the loading opening is closed off by the flattener.   
     
     
       8. A dough ball processing machine, comprising: a frame plate;   a first flattener and a second flattener pivotably attached to the frame plate;   a single actuator linked at least indirectly to the first and second flatteners, such that operation of the actuator simultaneously pivots both the first and the second flatteners.   
     
     
       9. A dough ball processing machine, comprising: a frame plate;   a first flattener pivotably attached to the frame plate at a first pivot point, the first flattener having a flat bottom section;   a second flattener pivotably attached to the frame plate at a second pivot point, the second flattener having a flat bottom section;   with the first pivot point spaced apart from the second pivot point by a distance substantially equal to the combined lengths of the flat bottom sections of the first flattener and the second flattener; and   an actuator linked at least indirectly to the first flattener and to the second flattener.   
     
     
       10. A method for flattening a doughball, comprising the steps of: pivoting a pair of opposing flatteners into a closed position;   dropping the dough ball down a tube, onto curved upper surfaces of the opposing pair of flatteners, with the flatteners in the closed position;   pivoting the flatteners in mutually opposite directions into an open position, with the doughball supported on the curved upper surfaces, and thereby creating an opening between the flatteners;   allowing the doughball to fall through the opening and onto a conveyor;   pivoting the flatteners to return them to the closed position;   flattening the doughball by having the flatteners press the doughball down onto the conveyor.   
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of: pivoting the flatteners into the closed position simultaneously.   
     
     
       12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of allowing the doughball to spread radially outwardly as it is flattened.